It was the positioning of the worst aviation catastrophe on South Korean soil. Now the terminal at Muan Worldwide Airport serves as a neighborhood middle for grieving relations of the 179 individuals who perished within the crash. Households collect right here to speak, eat collectively — some even keep in a single day in tents.
It was in that cavernous constructing in southwestern South Korea that the households waited anxiously for information after Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 crash-landed on Dec. 29. Then there have been tears and outbursts of anger as officers periodically learn out the names of the lifeless, many recognized by DNA assessments.
“We’re a household now,” mentioned Son Joo-taek, who misplaced his son within the accident and was amongst round 20 individuals who sat round a row of folding tables that held water and snacks on a latest Saturday. “The folks right here perceive what others simply can’t.”
These days, the speak amongst a number of the grieving households has turned towards motion: They need to discover out what prompted the crash. The jet — carrying principally vacationers residence from a year-end journey to Thailand — belly-flopped onto the runway and sped alongside till it hit a concrete berm and exploded into flames, leaving simply two survivors.
Relations of these killed say they’re sad with the trickle of knowledge from officers, and the refusal to launch data, together with transcripts from the management tower. They need to know extra concerning the studies of a chicken strike a couple of minutes earlier than the touchdown, how the jet got here down with out its touchdown gear, and why the berm it hit was not designed to offer means.
In desperation, some have turned to books and movies to study aviation security, together with how flight recorders, air visitors controllers, localizers and jet engines work. They’re additionally wanting into airport design.
“The households’ first precedence is to get the reality,” Son Ha-yang, the daughter of Mr. Son, mentioned on the airport the place her brother and his girlfriend have been killed. “In any other case, we’re solely counting on the investigators, who typically use jargon.”
Ms. Son, who has taken about three months’ go away from her job in Seoul, mentioned she felt the necessity to learn Boeing manuals and aviation rules, and has been learning phrases that had beforehand meant nothing to her: C.V.R., F.D.R., I.C.A.O. She has been in contact with different relations who additionally mentioned they needed to be taught extra about what may have gone improper.
South Korean authorities have mentioned it may take greater than a yr to finish the investigation, which has confronted hurdles which have pissed off the households. Amongst them: The jet’s flight recorders stopped recording for the ultimate 4 minutes of the flight.
“The households need to know why their family members died,” mentioned Park Cheol, a lawyer for the households. “In addition they really feel that, by learning, they’re making an effort for many who died.”
Some relations have challenged officers at conferences over the crash. They are saying they’re involved there aren’t sufficient folks investigating the trigger, in contrast with situations in america. Nor have the authorities acceded to their request to launch communications from the management tower across the time of the crash.
South Korea’s transport ministry mentioned in an announcement that the investigative physique was in talks with authorities to extend the variety of investigators. The ministry was additionally contemplating offering a transcript of the air visitors management communications, although they weren’t usually launched to the general public, it mentioned.
Kim Yu-jin has been watching YouTube movies and studying books about previous aviation disasters since her dad and mom and her brother died within the crash. She has been wanting on the security options planes have when making emergency landings.
At Ms. Kim’s cafe, within the southern county of Jangheung, her mom, Jung Solar-suk, was the barista and helped package deal deliveries. Her father, Kim Deok-won, helped transport strawberries and milk, and had deliberate increasing their 350-square-foot store.
She mentioned her dad and mom additionally helped elevate her 4 youngsters. After the crash, she briefly closed the cafe to deal with her youngsters and take care of the grief.
“All the pieces has my dad and mom’ contact,” she mentioned. “There are traces of them in all places.”
After shedding his son and daughter-in-law, Lee Jung-keun has centered his private analysis on one particular issue: the concrete berm. Most airports worldwide shouldn’t have comparable constructions so near runways, and after they do, they’re fabricated from extra fragile supplies meant to interrupt aside upon affect, consultants have mentioned.
Mr. Lee scoured the web for details about the berm and have become satisfied that it was the largest issue within the excessive dying toll.
“If it weren’t for the berm, nearly everybody would have survived,” he mentioned throughout a go to to the airport along with his spouse, Lee Mi-jung.
His son, Jae-hyeok, and the youthful man’s spouse, Tae Ari, shared a love of fishing and married in 2020. They’d been planning to start out a household, and Ms. Tae’s personal math academy within the southwestern county of Haenam was doing effectively, Ms. Lee mentioned.
The couple hadn’t initially deliberate to go to Thailand. However a last-minute provide from a journey company coincided with their wedding ceremony anniversary, Mr. Lee mentioned.
Coming to the airport is a means for some households to discover a sense of neighborhood when their houses are actually outlined by absence. Others keep away from the airport, fearing the reminiscences will probably be too painful, or constrained by work.
The crash left Lee Bong-kyung with a struggling shipyard within the southwestern metropolis of Mokpo that was based by his father in 2015. Gross sales have dipped in recent times and Mr. Lee mentioned it was his father’s work ethic that saved the enterprise alive: “All he knew was work,” he mentioned.
When Mr. Lee started working on the shipyard about six years in the past, it gave his father extra leisure time. The elder Mr. Lee had traveled to Bangkok with a gaggle of childhood associates. His dying has left his son crushed personally and professionally.
“We even have a number of debt and loans to repay, so I’ve considered giving up a couple of instances,” he mentioned.
The expertise of lots of the bereaved households — isolation from associates and colleagues, solidarity with relations of different victims and a mistrust of the federal government — echoes the aftermath of different disasters in South Korea, together with the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking and a crowd crush in Seoul in 2022.
Lee Jeong-bok and his spouse, Jeong Hyeon-kyeong, have been mourning one other younger sufferer. Their daughter, Min-ju, had died after taking a visit with a highschool pal. She was in her second yr at her first job out of faculty.
Because the crash, Ms. Lee’s three different youngsters have been serving to out their dad and mom extra, reminiscent of doing the dishes. “They’ve matured rapidly,” she mentioned.
Mr. Lee mentioned he and his spouse deliberate to remain on the airport till the reason for the crash got here to gentle. “The investigation must be thorough and goal,” he mentioned. “There’ll should be accountability and penalties.”
As soon as the investigation is full, the households will take into account submitting lawsuits to carry these chargeable for the crash accountable, mentioned Jung Yu-chan, a spokesman for the households.
On the airport one latest Saturday, Jo Mi-young was mourning a whole household that had perished on the jet. Ms. Jo’s sister Mi-Ja was on board along with her daughter, the daughter’s husband and their two youngsters.
Ms. Jo mentioned the youngsters’s father, Na Byung-hwa, had taken his household to Bangkok for a triple celebration: He had lately been promoted at his job at an agricultural cooperative, his wedding ceremony anniversary was approaching and his mother-in-law lately had her sixtieth birthday.
“Who else will bear in mind this household?” Ms. Jo requested.
Her brother, Jo Hyo-seon, mentioned that he and his sister had stayed on the airport nearly daily because the crash, discovering solace of their shared expertise with different households.
“Solely right here can we cry, solely right here can we chuckle,” he mentioned. “We’re not leaving till the reality is instructed.”
